Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the Peace Corps as it celebrates its 40th Anniversary. The Peace Corps is a powerful symbol of America's commitment to encourage progress, create opportunity, and expand development at the grass roots level in the developing world and at home. Today, its volunteers are working to bring clean water to communities, teach children, help start new small businesses, and stop the spread of AIDS. Since its beginning, in 1961, more than 161,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in 134 countries. These are people who are dedicated and committed to making this a better world. After serving and teaching in other countries, Peace Corps volunteers return to the U.S. with a greater understanding of other cultures and peoples. It is truly a mutually beneficial cross-cultural exchange. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting the thousands of Peace Corps volunteers, past, present, and future, and in commending the Peace Corps for empowering and encouraging progress around the world for the past four decades.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, it is with great regret that I come to the floor in opposition to this bankruptcy bill. Mr. Chairman, I supported this legislation when the House last took a recorded vote on bill. Unfortunately, the bill that we are voting today lacks a critically important amendment that has been added in the Senate. In the Senate, Judiciary Chairman Hatch and Senator Schumer of New York have agreed to a compromise amendment that resolves the issue of the treatment of perpetrators of abortion clinic violence who declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy reform is important but clinic bombers should not be allowed to excuse penalties assessed on them by the courts through bankruptcy. This is growing problem that the majority is ignoring. More than 2,400 acts of violence have been reported at family planning clinics since 1997. These include bombings, arsons, death threats, kidnapings, asaults, and other acts of harassment. I will carefully follow the progress of this issue in conference and I strongly urge my colleagues to add the Hatch-Schumer compromise.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to Ms. Joan Matula, who celebrates her 90th birthday this weekend on February 19, 2001. Ms. Matula leads a rich and wonderful life and contributes greatly to the community in which she lives. She is a model of civic virtue and community leadership and a beacon of hope for all of us who desire greater participation in the public sphere where the concerns of the many come before the demands of the few. Ms. Matula is a founder, a stalwart member, and a great leader of the Roosevelt Island Seniors Association (RISA). Founded in 1976, RISA brings the Roosevelt Island senior community together to make the island a better place to live and to enjoy the company of neighbors. As a co-founder of RISA in 1976, Ms. Matula has served in many capacities, including service as the organization's president for four terms and vice-president for two terms. She knows well the needs of the senior community on Roosevelt Island and the best approaches to meet those needs. Believe me Mr. Speaker, Roosevelt Island has seldom, very seldom witnessed a seniors event, or even a general island activity, parade or public event that Ms. Matula has not attended. She literally ran the senior center for six years and has represented RISA at the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RRA) since 1977, bringing the concern of the seniors to the attention of leading figures in the community. Ms. Matula has been involved in Roosevelt Island community concerns since the beginning. She worked at the Goldwater hospital as a medical secretary until her retirement in 1976. While there Ms. Matula helped residents improve and maintain their health on numerous occasions. She even led the Roosevelt Island nutrition program for eight years, focusing on the prevention of illness and the health of everyone on the island. Joan has always cared about her country and has consistently participated in the electoral process. She served as a member of the New York City election Board for 20 years and encouraged Roosevelt Island residents to vote in numerous elections. Ms. Matula is truly a remarkable person. She is always there whenever there is an event to promote on Roosevelt Island or an idea upon which to build. I consider Joan a very dear friend and, as many residents of Roosevelt Island know, to know Joan is to love her. Mr. Speaker, I salute the life and work of Joan Matula and I ask my fellow Members of Congress to join me in recognizing the contributions she has made to the community of Roosevelt Island, to the great City of New York and to our country.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to bring to the attention of my colleagues an exemplary after school program being offered in my district in Queens, New York, the Saint Demetrios Cathedral Afternoon School. Saint Demetrios Cathedral, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, Hellenic Orthodox Community of Astoria is an institution that promotes education, understanding, community service and the preservation of the Hellenic culture. In order to help neighborhood children learn more about their heritage, Saint Demetrios established an extra curricular program that offers afternoon and Saturday classes for grades 1-7. The curriculum includes instruction in Greek, spoken and written, Hellenic history, Orthodox religion, Hellenic traditions and culture, as well as instruction in Hellenic dancing. The Seventh grade students receive preparation for the Greek Regents' exam. Saint Demetrios is the world's largest Hellenic community outside of Athens. Founded in 1927, the church has, over the years, been home to tens of thousands of Hellenic immigrants, more recently, second-, third-, and fourth-generation Hellenic-Americans. In addition to Greek afternoon school, the parish includes a parochial school for pre-K to high school and Sunday School for religious instruction. The program is administered by Anastasios Koularmanis, Supervising Principal and Timoleon Kokkinos, Director of Afternoon School. No school will succeed without the support of the parents. Fortunately, Saint Demetrios's school has an active and involved parent body. This Sunday, February 11, the Saint Demetrios Afternoon School will have its annual luncheon that will honor, two true philanthropists of the community, Mr. George Almiroudis and Mr. Nikos Paphitis. George Almiroudis was born in Greece in 1951, on the island of Chios in the medieval village of Mesta. He completed his high school education and three-year military obligation and in 1974 emigrated to the United States. Upon his arrival in the United States, he worked hard and followed the ``American Dream.'' Today he is a very successful general contractor. His company MESTA construction is named after his hometown. The company employs more than 100 people in my district. In addition to his successful business ventures, George has focused his energies on many charitable organizations and events. He served as President of the MESTA Fraternal Organization, and the Chian Federation, Secretary of the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus and member of the Children's Hospital in Boston and of the New York Hospital. In addition, he is a member of the Hellenic Issues Committee of the Council of Hellenes Abroad. George's humanitarianism is exemplified by his creation of the George K. Almiroudis Chian Geriatric Foundation, Ltd. The mission of the foundation is to provide emotional, physical, financial and psychological support to Hellenic American senior citizens residing in senior residencies and nursing homes in the United States and Greece. To date his work has been recognized by the Borough Presidents of Queens and the Bronx and the Council of Hellenes Abroad who identified him as one of the most active Hellenes in the United States. George Almiroudis could not do all of this without the support of his wife Triantafillia Mathioudis-Almiroudis and their three sons, Constantinos, Adamatios and George Jr. Mr. Nikos Paphitis, the second honoree was born in Pentayia, Morphou in Cyprus, an area that has been under Turkish occupation since the 1974 invasion. He completed his high school education and military service in Cyprus. Nikos Paphitis came to the United States to pursue higher education. He received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from York College. In 1991 he joined Cyprus Popular Bank serving as Customer Legal Relations and Affairs in the Finance Department. He is currently serving as Chief Representative of LAIKI Group in New York. An industrious and resourceful individual, Nikos is active with the Cyprus Federation of America. He is currently serving as Chairman of the Philanthropic Committee of the Cyprus Federation along with several other causes. He is married to Evie Georgiou and they have two children Andreas (10) and Marilena (7) who are attending St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox School in Astoria. Mr. Speaker, I salute the wonderful work of the Saint Demetrios After School Program and the two great individuals they have honored, George Almiroudis and Nikos Paphitis. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing their contributions to the Astoria community.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to the attention of this congress an outstanding organization located in my district in Queens. The Pancyprian Association of America Women's Issues Network (WIN) is dedicated to education, health, and a better quality of life for the Astoria community. This year they will be honoring Ismini Michaels at their annual Dinner Dance on March 3, 2001. Ismini Michaels was born in Nicosia, Cyprus and graduated from the Teaching Academy of Cyprus. She was a teacher for twelve years at St. Anthony's School in Nicosia. Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Michaels founded the children's choir and organized dozens of wonderful cultural events. She was a member of the ``Pnevmatiki Stegi,'' the Choir of Cyprus, and worked at PIK, the Cypriot television station, hosting the television series Music and Dances of Cyprus. In 1975, following the Turkish invasion, Ismini immigrated to New York City with her family in search of a better future. In New York, she worked at the Transfiguration of Christ Greek School in Corona for three years, and from 1981 through the present she has worked at the Archangel Michael Afternoon School in Roslyn, NY. A dynamic member of the Hellenic community, Ismini has served in the Women's Division of the United Cyprians of America, the PanPaphian Association and the Cypriot Teachers Association. After the sudden death of her beloved husband, Stelios, she took on the continuation of his work with the Department of Health of Cyprus and the Greenpoint Chapter of Deborah Hospital, securing free therapy and surgeries for children with cancer. Today Ismini is a member of the Pancyprian Association of America and its subdivision, the Women's Issues Network, as well as a member and the President of the Choir of the Pancyprian Cultural Division. She is also a member of the committee for Scholarships from the PanPaphian Association, and Treasurer of the Greek Children's Fund at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Schneider Hospitals. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Federation of America and is a production member of the television show ``H Kypros Mas'' (Our Cyprus) hosted and produced by Petros Petridis, with whom she has worked with for many years organizing theatrical and cultural events. Ismini Michaels lives in Queens and has three daughters, Maria, Andri and Noni. From her daughter Andri she has two grandchildren, Stella and Nicholas. I wish her the best of health so that she may continue her many contributions toward her fellow man and her beloved homelands of the United States and Cyprus.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is a significant day in the history of our Republic. For only the 22nd time since our founding, those charged with the constitutional mandate to conduct a decennial census will report to the Nation on the preliminary results of their work. The Census acting director appears before Congress, and he will give us the first report on the quality and completeness of that count, under oath. Rumor has it that the results are good, I think. I say that because there is still quite a bit we do not know. Apparently, the net national undercount from the 2000 census is about 1 percent. These results are a significant improvement over 1990. The 2000 census may well be the best ever conducted. It is also my obligation to report to this House that all may not be well with the census. If what I read in the papers is right, there is an ongoing plan by the Republican leadership to stop the Bureau from completing its job by blocking the use of modern scientific methods to achieve the most accurate picture of America. This is not a charge that I make or any Democrat makes, it is a charge made by the investigative staff of none other than the Wall Street Journal in a story which appeared last Thursday quoting Republican sources that such a plan is afoot. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record this issue of the Wall Street Journal. [From the Wall Street Journal, Feb. 8, 2001] Bush's Next Recount Battle: Should Census Tallies Be Adjusted? (By Jim VandeHei) Washington.--Amid warnings of protests from minorities, President Bush must decide soon whether to use revised census data to redraw congressional boundaries and to divvy up roughly $185 billion a year in federal funds At issue is the way the U.S. counts its people. Republicans want the person-by-person head count conducted in 2000 to stand; Democrats are demanding the use of statistical ``sampling'' models that they believe more accurately count hard-to-reach minority families in inner cities. With potentially greater representation of minorities--and, therefore, Democrats--in Congress at stake, plus billions of dollars for minority communities, New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney calls the dispute the ``bloodiest political war'' she has ever seen. If Democrats lose, Mr. Bush's decision ``will clearly make Florida look like a case of petty theft,'' she says. But Republicans on Capitol Hill insist the war is over: The White House, they say, has privately promised to block states from using sampled numbers to redraw any of the nation's 435 congressional districts. This would brighten Republicans' prospects for retaining their tenuous five-seat House majority in 2002. Missouri GOP Rep. Roy Blunt, a Bush confidant, says he does ``not believe there is any reason'' that the president would change his mind and permit the use of ``statistical sampling'' for redistricting, which the GOP argues is unconstitutional. Mr. Bush, however, may be willing to use sampled data for the distribution of federal funds if it becomes clear that the revised figures will increase government funding for urban, minority areas. This potential ``compromise,'' Republicans say, underscores the president's sensitivity to the racial overtones of this debate. That could hardly placate Democrats, given the enormous political stakes. Working Toward a Solution Scott McClellan, a spokesman for President Bush, says no decisions have been made yet. But officials at the Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau, are working to craft a solution. Commerce Department officials have been advised by two stauch critics of sampling: Tom Hoffeler, a redistricting guru at the Republican National Committee, and Jane Cobb, the GOP staff director on the House subcommittee that overseas the census. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, who was Mr. Bush's campaign chairman, also will play an influential role. * * * this month. If the bureau finds that the 2000 head count was off significantly, it could release the sampled figures when it begins providing states a breakdown of the original census on March 1 for redistricting. A final decision, by law, must be made by the end of March. Mr. Bush's father faced a similar situation 10 years ago. Finally, then-Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher blocked the Census Bureau from using sampled numbers. He provided the younger Bush a precedent for possible compromise by later finding that sampled data, if based on sound science, could be preferable for distributing government funds. This time, the White House has an array of options to stop the use of sampled data for redistricting. All are loaded with political and practical consequences. Mr. Bush could revoke a Clinton administration rule that empowers the head of the Census Bureau to make the final call on whether to use sampled data. The courts have ruled that only unadjusted data could be used to determine how many House seats each state gets, but they left open the question of whether sampling could be used to redraw districts. Mr. Bush would have to overturn the rule before the new figures are released publicly, which gives him about a month to act. Or the president could appoint a new Census Bureau director, who would make the final call on release of sampled data and possibly provide cover to Mr. Bush. Kenneth Prewitt, the bureau's director under former President Clinton and a staunch advocate of sampling, left last month. Career civil servant William Barron, the acting director, would not hesitate to release the sampled data if it showed a noticeable difference, observers say. But it would be nearly impossible for Mr. Bush to get a new director in place in time. There is still a slim chance that Mr. Bush won't have to make a decision at all. If the Census Bureau finds that the 2000 person-by-person head count was nearly dead-on; there would be no reason to use revised numbers. That is unlikely, but Mr. Prewitt does say the 2000 census was the most accurate count ever taken. Democrats concede that it was probably far more accurate than the 1990 count, which they say underestimated the U.S. population by a net of about four million people, mostly poor people from big cities. guarding `their civil rights' But Rep. Maloney says it is likely that 2000 census, at the very least, missed huge pockets of people of inner cities that ``must have their civil rights protected.'' It is impossible to determine what effect the sampled data will have on the distribution of federal funds until the numbers are released. But if the 1990 census is any indication, it could boost government spending by billions of dollars over 10 years in cities such as New York and Chicago, according to various studies, because the government allocates much of its funds based on population. Rep. Thomas Davis of Virginia, chairman of the GOP's congressional committee, accuses the Democrats of ``using the funding issue to try to scare people'' and mask their true intent, which is to pick up House seats. ``Every seat counts,'' when a swing of five seats would cost the GOP control of the House, he says. Indeed, experts predict that sampling could significantly increase the number of Democratic voters in as many as 12 House districts currently held by Republicans. Most of these seats are swing districts on the shoulders of the country's largest cities. Consider Los Angeles. Democrats control the entire redistricting process, which is done by the governor and the state Legislature. If the Census Bureau's sampling data finds that minorities inside Los Angeles were undercounted, it could correct the problem by adding thousands of residents, presumably Democrats, to its original count. When the state redraws its congressional districts, Democrats then could simply draw pockets of minority-rich neighborhoods into GOP districts in neighboring suburbs. In California alone, Republicans worry that this could cost them at least two House seats. Sampling, says Rep. Blunt, could ``change'' the control of the House. In the end, it is likely that the courts will decide this dispute. Indeed, both sides have promised to file lawsuits if they lose. Mr. Speaker, as we all learned in high school, no single action by this government other than the census does more to reapportion political power here and in our State legislatures and local communities. No single action, other than the census, does more to fairly distribute billions in Federal, State, and local tax dollars or private investment. No single act does more to recognize who we are as individuals, or together as communities assembled into a single Nation. The impact of each new census is far-reaching because each occurs only once every 10 years. We have just completed our 22nd decennial census. Indeed, our fighting men and women have been sent abroad to defend liberty more times than we have conducted a full count of our own people to ensure that liberty is guaranteed. A successful effort to interfere with a modern scientific count to achieve a purely partisan advantage of one political party over the other, as the Wall Street Journal suggests is under way, denies liberty and disenfranchises the unrepresented for an entire decade. That is why many call this moment in our history the most important civil rights issue of this decade. Mr. Speaker, I remind this House of the recent election process in Florida. Those who felt denied access to the polls or disenfranchised by having their ballots set aside, or those stripped of their right to choose their political leadership, they still have recourse. Next year they can go to the polls again in local, State, and Federal elections and make their voices heard. Believe me, the whole world will be watching. To those left out of the census, however, those that are disenfranchised by a purely partisan intervention to ensure that they are not counted or recognized or represented, to them there is no recourse, not for 10 long years. Billions of dollars in Federal funding will be unfairly spent, private investment will be redirected to those less deserving, local planners and school boards will overlook again those uncounted, unless we do everything we can to improve the census and ensure that it is as complete and accurate as possible. What we are likely to hear tomorrow is that the net national undercount is better than in 1990. It may be 3 million people missed instead of 4 million. In any case, we know that they are most likely, most probably, minorities and children who are undercounted, the urban and rural poor. Mostly affluent whites have been double- counted. Mr. Speaker, we cannot make up for not counting minorities by double-counting whites. There are those in the administration rushing to prejudge the results without having all the facts. They claim this is the most accurate census in American history. We hope so, but the whole story is not known. The key to this challenge is not just how many were missed, but who was missed? Where do they reside? Were some groups missed at higher rates than others? What if we learned that nationally a net of 3 million residents were missed, but that one million were in Florida. Would Florida not insist on an adjustment? Equality of outcome, for all types of communities and for all population groups, is what we need to ensure the fair allocation of resources to areas most in need, as well as the obvious, equal representation for everyone in our democracy. This is my pledge to the Members of the House and to those we represent. Through my position on the Census Subcommittee, and through whatever power I can muster, we will ultimately learn if any political influence by this administration is used to interfere with the scientific process of a complete and accurate Census. I led the fight to ensure that career professionals at the Census Bureau would make this decision when the prior Democratic administration was in power. The same process should apply to the new administration. I want to ensure the Secretary of Commerce and the President that we are watching. There can be no more unseemly act than the one suggested in these press accounts. To have the very government elected to serve the people use its power to block the exercise of every political right on the part of millions of Americans is wrong. We are on the verge in this Nation of redrawing every political jurisdiction in every state from congressional districts to state legislatures to city councils and school boards and even local taxing districts. Only the census numbers which give us the most complete accounting of everyone residing in our country should be used for that purpose. To think that this Federal Government, the very instrument of political empowerment in the last century for people of color, women, and youth, would be turned against those same groups is unimaginable. We shall not have ended the poll tax, given suffrage to women, lowered the voting age to 18, ensured all qualified citizens the right to vote, arrested those who intimidated voters at the polls, to just turn away now while millions are left uncounted, unrecognized and unempowered. The struggle for full voting rights cannot and must not be undone by the swipe of a political appointee's pen. PUBLICATION OF THE RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE 107TH

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize the world's champion for international family planning and women's empowerment and one of the world's most powerful women, Dr. Nafis Sadik. I am continually amazed by Dr. Sadik's accomplishments. She began her career at the United Nations as the head of UNFPA's Program Branch under the leadership of Rafael Salas. Dr. Salas used to regularly send Nafis to attend high-level U.N. meetings where she was the only woman in the room. Not only that, but she was a woman representing the Population Fund, not high on the U.N.'s most favored agency list, and even worse, she was advocating for women. And, as you would guess, she was usually ignored. However these men didn't know whom they were dealing with. Dr. Sadik was undaunted by her male colleagues and regularly spoke with a clear voice and a courageous voice until she was heard. Now, she is in her 13th year as the head of UNFPA. The first woman to ever be appointed to head a United Nations agency. Dr. Sadik's passion and commitment to international family planning doesn't come from reciting a UNFPA manual, but learning first hand what access to family planning means for women and families around the world. As the director of the women's and children's wards of Pakistani hospitals, she helped shape the country's family planning programs. She saw and heard first hand women who didn't want more children, but didn't have the access to the resources or the power to make the decisions they needed to plan their families. It's this experience that resonates in Dr. Sadik's words and commands our attention. I owe a great deal to Dr. Sadik. It was her words and leadership that helped my colleagues and I restore the U.S. contribution to UNFPA in 1999. I met Dr. Sadik at the Hague International Forum Conference on population and women's reproductive health. We were just beginning our fight in Congress to restore UNFPA funding. We had a daunting task before us--restore $25 million for UNFPA during a tough budget fight in a Congress that equates family planning with abortion. But using Dr. Sadik's words that, ``population is not someone else'' problem; it's a global issue that needs to engage every country in the world,'' we won the fight and restored the U.S. contribution to UNFPA. This past year we achieved another success in Congress, when UNFPA was included in the budget at $25 million. But, we still have a long way to go. My colleagues and I are still working to restore all U.S. funding for international family planning programs back to its 1995 levels. It's far below where we were in the 1980's, but it will be a 20% increase over last year. This past year, we had more than 120 Members that understand the link between family planning and women's health. With Dr. Sadik at the helm of UNFPA, Congress got the message that family planning is vital to the fight to save women's lives. Be assured that we will continue Dr. Sadik's fight for women around the world and will work with Thoraya Obaid to keep her legacy moving forward. Dr. Sadik, thank you for your courage, your leadership, and your commitment to the women of this world. You are an inspiration to us all and we will miss your dearly.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened by the news of the earthquake in India's Gujarat state and would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the families of India. In this time of tragedy, the people of India can be assured that we will stand by them and continue to offer our support. We will do all we can to aid those who are suffering and those who must begin the difficult process of rebuilding.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 30th anniversary of Watson Rice LLP, an accounting and consulting firm in the heart of my district that exemplifies the benefits of affirmative action. Today, Watson Rice is one of the nation's largest and oldest firms owned and managed by diverse partners, with 125 professionals operating in four states and the District of Columbia. Few would have predicted that back in 1971, in downtown Cleveland, two fledgling accountants operating in one room, at a shared desk sitting face to face, with a single adding machine and one telephone line, would develop a firm that now earns annual billings approaching $9 million. Tom Watson and Bob Rice, however, share this American success story. Garnering their first fees from a dry cleaning establishment, a grocery store, and a funeral home, they now operate a formidable enterprise well known today as Watson Rice LLP. The African-American founders of Watson Rice LLP found opportunity in the pro-active policies of President Carter's administration that welcomed the services of qualified firms staffed with multicultural professionals. Mr. Watson and Mr. Rice first and foremost reached out to the regional offices of established accounting firms to learn from experienced senior professionals. Mr. Rice recalls that period for the exceptionally generous mentors at Big 8 firms like Deloitte Haskins. Watson Rice's first sizable contract, from the U.S. Department of Labor, enabled the firm to move to their own offices in downtown Cleveland and to start adding staff. Business from the U.S. Department of Commerce and from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency followed, and then from several other Washington agencies. In 1976, Tom Watson met Ron Thompkins, a Florida-based professional partner in a firm which developed a considerable practice specializing in health care services. This firm later was merged into Watson Rice to mutually strengthen operations in government, non-profit and joint venture practices. The Miami branch since has doubled its number of staff professionals. The late 1970s also were a time when Tom Watson first met Bennie Hadnott, a specialist in quality control and training for government audits. That meeting led to another merger, with Hadnott fully blending into Watson Rice--ultimately to become its Managing Partner based in New York. The firm's government practice grew rapidly, generating $1 million in fees during the first two years of the new affiliation. Contracts with the Departments of Labor and Energy provided substantial revenue, especially from reviews of oil company pricing practices during the Mideast embargo of petroleum. The growing New York practice generated an impressive and diverse client roster, including the New York City Health & Hospital Services, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the NYC Department of Aging, and eight McDonald's franchises. Hadnott also served on the Mayor's Financial Committee during the Dinkins Administration of New York City. In 1982, Watson Rice contracted with the Resolution Trust Corporation to help close Carteret Savings, one of New Jersey's largest banks. The firm opened offices in Rutherford, NJ, at first for the 60 members of its staff assigned to the program, and later to represent prestigious regional operations, such as the Newark Public Schools, the Urban League, and statewide long term care facilities. Bennie Hadnott, while still active in the firm, recently passed its leadership to a new and dynamic managing partner, Raymond P. Jones. The emphasis at the firm continues to be training and excellence, with Watson Rice at the cutting edge of establishing a paperless accounting practice, a leader in its industry. Mr. Speaker, I salute Watson Rice LLP and I ask my fellow Members of Congress to join me in recognizing this firm's 30th anniversary.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to George Seferis (nom de plume of George Seferiadis), on the 100th anniversary of his birth. On December 5, 2000 the Consulate Generals of Greece and Cyprus, the Hon. Dimitris Platis and the Hon. Vasilis Philippou will host an evening of celebration of the works of George Seferiadis. This cultural event will provide an opportunity for many individuals to appreciate the works of George Seferis, statesman, fighter for democracy, and poet. George Seferis was born on the 29th of February 1900 in Smyrna. The family moved to Athens in 1914. From 1918-1924 he studied law in Paris and in 1926 joined the diplomatic service. His career took him to London and Albania. From the 28th of October 1940, when Mussolini attacked Greece, every evening he held foreign press briefings in Athens. These press conferences are still remembered. During WWII he served in Beirut and Alexandria. After the war he continued to serve in the diplomatic core and was stationed in Ankara, London, and Beirut. In 1963 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. George Seferis' poetry shows his search for clarification. His striving toward the lights that stands for life, hope, and salvation in what gives his poetry its anguished tone but also its sense of immediacy. The clarity of his precisely controlled style, his complex symbolism, his powerful understatement, with the intensity of his suppressed emotions, compactness of nuance and wealth of allusions create an effect of dramatic density. Lord, help us to keep in mind the causes of this slaughter: greed, dishonesty, selfishness, The desecration of love; Lord, help us to root these out . . . As we celebrate the hundred years since his birth and mourn his death (September 20th, 1971), Hellenes have been singing Seferis' stanza of hope put to music by Theodorakis: A little farther We will see the almond trees blossoming The marble gleaming in the sun The sea breaking into waves A little farther Let us rise a little higher. He died during the time of the brutal military dictatorship in Greece. Having denounced the regime on March 28, 1969, he became a symbol for millions of Greeks who hated the junta and knew of his poetry. We truly thank the Honorable Vasilis Philippou and the Honorable Dimitris Platis for sharing with us the wonderful works and history of George Seferis.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to Alice Ostrow, a longtime union supporter and housing activist, who passed away on January 4, 2001. Ms. Ostrow, a onetime Socialist candidate for Congress in New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, was a cofounder of the Textile Workers' Organizing Committee. In her capacity as a union leader, Ms. Ostrow served as an effective and compassionate leader throughout the organized labor movement of the 20th Century. Alice Ostrow was born in Philadelphia in 1915, honed her leadership skills as class president at South Philadelphia High School, and attended Strousberg State Teachers' College. Pushing aside the limitations American society placed upon women, she began her foray into politics when she joined the Philadelphia Chapter of the Young Peoples' Socialist League. Throughout her career, Ms. Ostrow worked for the IRS, served as a legislative representative of the Federation of Federal Employees, and worked for the Communications Workers of America. In the late 1940s and 1950s, during the birth of rent control, Ms. Ostrow organized the group New jersey Tenants for Rent Control and fought for tenants' rights for many years afterwards. After moving to Burlington, Vermont in 1955, Ms. Ostrow became involved in numerous local liberal organizations, including the Vermont ACLU. After her husband's death in 1967, she moved to my district in New York City, where she became heavily involved in the NAACP, the ACLU, the Workers Defense League, and Americans for Democratic Action. Even in her 80s, Ms. Ostrow was a tireless activist for the rights of the elderly, poor, oppressed, and otherwise downtrodden. She traveled to the New York State Capitol in Albany to lobby for tenant rights. She also staffed a homeless center and circulated political petitions. A vibrant and caring woman who viewed public service in the same regard as Robert F. Kennedy--she ``saw wrong and tried to right it.'' I am confident that her legacy will continue through the many individuals she personally touched during her extraordinary life.

Ms. MALONEY of New York

Ms. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to M. Barry Schneider, who recently completed his two-year term as Chairman of Manhattan Community Board Eight, which serves the Upper East Side, Lenox Hill, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island neighborhoods of Manhattan. Mr. Schneider has dedicated his effective leadership to serving his community for the last ten years, both as a cofounder of the East Sixties Neighborhood Association, Inc., a community group directed toward improving the quality of life for neighborhood residents, and as a member of Community Board Eight, to which he was appointed by the Manhattan Borough President in 1991. Within my district in New York City, Community Boards serve a tremendously beneficial advisory role in ensuring that the opinions of members of the community are recognized by the city government when reviewing prospective neighborhood changes dealing with land use and zoning matters. Among other responsibilities, Community Boards also have the important role of making recommendations to the city government in the allocation of the city budget. In his service to Community Board Eight, Mr. Schneider has consistently and enthusiastically demonstrated his willingness to strive for the improvement of his neighborhood. Prior to becoming Chairman of the Community Board in 1998, Mr. Schneider served as the 2nd Vice Chairman of the Board from 1994-1995, Transportation Committee Chairman from 1994-1997, and as 1st Vice Chairman from 1996-1997. As the Chairman of Community Board Eight, Mr. Schneider has overseen the realization of many notable community developments. From the dedication of the Central Park Children's Zoo to saving the Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, Mr. Schneider's term can be described as nothing short of a true success. A former officer in the United States Army and the current owner and president of a successful advertising company, M. Barry Schneider represents the ideal model of leadership and truly demonstrates the honorable American tradition of service to one's community. Although his Community Board Eight colleagues can no longer refer to him as ``Mr. Chairman,'' I have no doubt that Mr. Schneider's service to his community will continue for years to come.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to the New York Junior League (NYJL) on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary. The NYJL is a remarkable organization, dedicated to training women for leadership in serving their communities. The Junior League is committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The NYJL was founded by Mary Harriman, a 19-year-old New Yorker and Barnard College student, to unite young women and provide an organized means for them to give back to their communities. Originally called the Junior League for the Promotion of Settlement Movements, the organization was inspired by the settlement movement started by Jane Addams 13 years earlier. The NYJL quickly boasted 80 members. The new organization's first beneficiaries were residents of the New York College Settlement on the Lower East Side. Recognizing the success of NYJL, other areas of the country began to form their own Junior Leagues. Today there are 296 Junior Leagues in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Eleanor Roosevelt joined the NYJL at the age 19. Her volunteer activities included serving as a dance teacher for young girls living in a Lower East Side settlement house. She later acknowledged that the experience played an important role in developing her social conscience and her commitment to public service. Today, Junior League volunteers are engaged in helping a wide range of New Yorkers, including children, the elderly, victims of domestic abuse and prisoners. The NYJL teamed up with the Legal Aid Society Community Law Offices in East Harlem to help domestic violence survivors obtain divorces. As its 85th Anniversary project, NYJL created Milbank Houses, which provides transitional housing for homeless families. Junior League volunteers continue to provide education on subjects including living skills, nutrition and job- hunting. NYJL volunteers paired up with Victim Services to provide temporary emergency shelter victims of domestic violence through Project Debby. Volunteers recruit hotels to donate unused rooms for one to three nights to women and children in need of a safe haven until permanent arrangements can be made. Ms. Speaker, I am delighted to congratulate the New York Junior League on its 100th Anniversary and I wish them many more years of successful service to my community.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, by reinstituting the global gag rule as one of his first actions in office, President Bush quickly revealed how uncompassionate his conservatism will be. The gag rule will take money away from the world's poorest women and girls. This is not the action of a moderate. The gag rule prevents doctors from giving the best medical advice to patients, it stops free speech, and it limits the effectiveness of family planning organizations. So this gag rule is not about preventing taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions, no matter what the President's spokesman says. This is a significant point. Language is important. By using language that leads people to believe that the ban will stop taxpayer money from being used for abortions, the Bush administration gave a positive spin to a negative action. We need to call them on it. That is why many of us are on the floor tonight. This is not about taxpayer money being used for abortion. It could not be. No American dollars have been used for abortions since 1973. That is the law of this country. The gag rule is about preventing organizations from giving good medical advice and care to patients. It coerces family planning clinics, doctors and organizations into sacrificing their right to counsel patients or even participate in democratic debates in order to receive U.S. funding for voluntary family planning services. It will stop much needed family planning funding from going to the organizations that provide the services that prevent abortions. It forces providers to make a terrible choice, give up desperately needed funding for family planning services or sacrifice their rights and responsibilities. Either way, women lose and the number of abortions, particularly illegal abortions, will rise. The gag rule would be unconstitutional here in the United States, and it is unconscionable that among the first acts of the Bush administration was to reinstate it and impose it on the world's poorest women and girls. During the campaign, President Bush said that the United States should not appear arrogant in its foreign policy. Imposing limits on speech that would be unconstitutional here in the United States is the height of arrogance in foreign policy. That is not to say that all the news is bad. I was pleased to hear that President Bush has committed to retaining the fiscal year 2001 funding levels for international family planning. That was a very welcome statement. I hope that when President Bush takes another look at the facts, he will recognize that his actions actually encourage the procedure he is trying to reduce. We know that family planning reduces the need for abortions. We know that it saves lives. The gag rule reduces the effectiveness of family planning organizations and should be eliminated. I urge the President to revoke the gag rule. I applaud my many colleagues that have joined me in doing so.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained in my district on Friday, November 3, and I would like the Record to indicate how I would have voted had I been present. For rollcall vote No. 593, I would have voted ``yea.'' For rollcall vote No. 594, I would have voted ``yea.'' Mr. Speaker, I was also unavoidably detained in my district on Monday and Tuesday, November 13-14, and I would like the Record to indicate how I would have voted had I been present. For rollcall vote No. 595, I would have voted ``nay.'' For rollcall vote No. 596, I would have voted ``nay.'' For rollcall vote No. 597, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I pay special tribute to Lars-Erik Nelson, Washington columnist for The New York Daily News, who passed away on November 20, 2000. Mr. Nelson, an enormously talented journalist, was revered by both his colleagues in the news media and by many members of this body. Mr. Nelson served as the Washington columnist for the Daily News for nearly two decades. He was an imaginative, generous, and perceptive writer. His work has been especially noted for its nonpartisan, honest, and straightforward style. His column served as an ideal conduit through which his readers in New York City's five boroughs could gain accurate and concise insight into the political events and personalities inside the Beltway. Many of Mr. Nelson's outside-Washington readers brushed up on their political awareness by reading his columns while riding New York City subways. His identification with New Yorkers was most evident in his clear yet flowing prose and served as his most noted trademark. Michael Oreskes, the Washington bureau chief of The New York Times said Nelson was ``a journalist's journalist. Honest, forthright, wise and clearheaded. He was cerebral without being stuffy.'' Columnist Jimmy Breslin described Mr. Nelson, fluent in Russian and an accomplished watercolor painter, as ``one of the few intellectuals left in the newsroom.'' Lars-Erik Nelson, a native New Yorker who graduated from Columbia College, began his journalism career writing for several newspapers in the greater New York area. He then became a diplomatic correspondent for Reuters, where he specialized in Soviet and Eastern European affairs. While reporting in Europe and Russia, Mr. Nelson covered the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. After briefly working as the Moscow Bureau Chief of Newsweek, Mr. Nelson joined the Daily News in 1979, where he worked as Washington Bureau Chief from 1981 until 1993, when he became a Washington columnist for Newsday. He returned to the Daily News as a columnist in 1995. For the past two years, he has also been a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books. Mr. Speaker, the journalistic communities of both Washington, D.C. and New York City have suffered the loss of a great writer and advocate for objective and sound journalism. Mr. Nelson, a veteran journalist who never missed an opportunity to share his advice with a rookie reporter, was a man who personified the ideal journalist. His remarkably astute columns should be looked upon as examples of superior journalism by younger journalists of today. I express my most sincere condolences to both his family and coworkers. Lars-Erik Nelson will be sorely missed.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Helen Osk Leinhardt, who will turn 100 years old on December 28, 2000. Ms. Leinhardt will celebrate her birthday alongside her son, Walter, her six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Ms. Leinhardt is quite an extraordinary woman. Born on December 28, 1900, the end of the first year of the 20th Century, Ms. Leinhardt was educated in New York City public schools and eventually became a teacher. She taught first and second grade in Brooklyn, New York for more than 30 years. A working mother at a time when it was still rare for women to work outside the home, Ms. Leinhardt raised two children, Walter and Alice. Alice unfortunately died three years ago. Throughout Alice's illness, Ms. Leinhardt, who was then in her late nineties, repeatedly walked the entire 40 blocks to and from the hospital to visit her daughter. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to acknowledge the dedication and pioneering efforts of Ms. Helen Osk Leinhardt. A working mother whose great enthusiasm inspired a generation of students, Ms. Leinhardt is truly an inspiration to us all.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the Association for the Research of Middle Eastern Cultures, A.R.M.E.C., on its fifth anniversary, and to recognize the 45th Moroccan Independence Day. A.R.M.E.C promotes cultural, social, educational, and religious activities in order to facilitate the participation of the Middle Eastern community in American life. A.R.M.E.C strives to promote interaction between individuals of various cultural and religious backgrounds in order to create an environment of mutual respect and understanding. For the past three years, they have honored and commended various Artists of the Year in order to further appreciate and bring recognition to the rich cultural heritage of the Middle East. A.R.M.E.C.'s mission is to help facilitate a harmonious multicultural society. They sponsor various cultural and sporting events including conferences, musical performances, and traditional celebrations. In 1996, A.R.M.E.C. co-sponsored a family conference in Washington, D.C. with the theme: True Family Values for American Moslem Families. One hundred and fifty participants attended this conference to discuss how to improve the quality of families throughout the world. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, A.R.M.E.C. is involved in many humanitarian and social activities. After the death of King Hassan II of Morocco, A.R.M.E.C. made available for signing a condolence book addressed to his son and successor, King Mohammed VI. Following this year's devastating earthquake in Turkey, A.R.M.E.C. sent an appeal to its members to express their solidarity and generosity toward the people of Turkey. The Association for the Research of Middle Eastern Cultures hopes to continue its efforts in familiarizing members with United States history, religious traditions, culture and laws, in order to facilitate integration into American society. Future projects include new immigrants support and assistance services, English and Arabic language classes, Middle East music and dance classes, and marriage and family counseling. Mr. Speaker, I salute the Association for the Research of Middle Eastern Cultures and ask my colleagues in Congress to join me in recognizing the great contributions of A.R.M.E.C. and the Moroccan 45th Independence Day.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced the Electronic Marketplace Ownership Disclosure Act. The intent of this legislation is to increase the information available to businesses and consumers who conduct commerce on the Internet. The Internet has transformed the economy, increasing efficiencies and allowing commercial transactions to take place on a global scale never before contemplated. Increasingly, Internet commerce websites serve as neutral third-party platforms that match buyers with sellers. The value of these sites, whether they serve as marketplaces for financial services products or airline tickets, is their neutrality and convenience. Industry and consumers can be confident that they are receiving the best possible prices based on the fact the Internet platform over which they are conducting business does not have an interest in the transaction. The Electronic Marketplace Ownership Disclosure Act is intended to prevent the creation of sites that appear to be neutral third-parties but are actually owned by business interests that take part in the transactions conducted on the site. This legislation requires the proprietors of Internet commerce websites to disclose, on the site, the extent to which an Internet marketplace's controlling equity holders plan to become trading participants on the site. It also requires Internet commerce websites to disclose the identity of their corporate parents. As a member of the Banking Committee, I believe businesses and consumers have the right to know when they conduct a foreign currency exchange on an Internet commerce site, that the proprietors of the site are participating in the transaction. The global, amorphous nature of the Internet is its great strength. This legislation only seeks to increase public confidence in it as a tool for commerce. I am an ardent believer in government taking a hands off approach to Internet commerce. This legislation merely requires disclosure and is not intended to create a burden on Internet companies. I look forward to comments on this legislation and will introduce it again next year.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the motion to instruct Labor-HHS Appropriations Conferees to insist on dedicating funding for school construction. Right now, three-quarters of the nation's schools need funding to bring their buildings into a ``good overall condition.'' Right now, the average age of a public school building is 42 years, an age when schools tend to deteriorate. How can a child learn when she has to cross a courtyard to get to a temporary trailor for one of her classes? How can a child learn when her classes are held in janitor closets? How can a child learn when her school needs emergency repairs? How can a child learn when her class meets in a hallway? How can a child learn when the school is crumbling around her? We have an obligation to do something about this problem. And our children should not have to wait. Two hundred and thirty Members of Congress support the Johnson-Rangel school construction measure. This bipartisan bill helps communities to modernize their current schools and construct new facilities so our children will learn in the finest facilities possible. Mr. Speaker, it is unconscionable that while the Republican leadership can't set aside $25 billion for modernization and construction of new schools, it has no problem giving $28 billion in tax breaks to big businesses, HMOs, and insurance companies. It is unfortunate that we are at the end of the appropriations process and the education priorities are still not taken care of. Our number one priority must be education. And school construction funding must happen this year. Our children are counting on us.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, when women and Americans go to the polls on Tuesday, I believe there will be two words more important and more at stake than any other. These two words are not ``Democrat'' and ``Republican,'' they are not ``House'' and ``Senate,'' and they are not even ``Gore'' and ``Bush.'' The two words that this election comes down to are ``Supreme Court.'' The next President of the United States will appoint at least two or three, maybe even more, Supreme Court Justices. He will define our constitutional rights not for the next 4 years, but for the next 40. If G.W. Bush is elected and the balance of the court tips right, which it will, far right, the consequences are clear: civil rights, privacy rights, and reproductive rights will be in jeopardy. Our environmental protections, affirmative action, and the separation of church and State will all be on the line, because the fact is these two words, ``Supreme Court,'' can come down to just one vote. Right now, one single vote protects a woman's right to choose and recognizes her fundamental control over her own body. Both Planned Parenthood versus Casey and Stenberg versus Carhart demonstrated that a woman's right to choose is fragile. It hangs by the slimmest of margins five to four. Without the protection of Roe v. Wade, Congress and many State legislators have proven that they are willing to pass laws restricting abortion procedures, even when a woman's health is at stake. Yet, to overturn Roe, to put a woman's health and her very life at risk, G.W. Bush would not need to use three appointments or even two. It would just take one. He says he trusts the people and not the government to make their own decisions. He must not be talking about women. One vote. There are those who say there is no way to predict. They say Justices are independent; that Reagan appointed Sandra Day O'Connor, who is pro- choice; that the would-be impact of G.W. Bush on the bench is exaggerated. But I think that the best way to measure someone is through not what they say but what they do. When asked what kind of Justices he would appoint to the bench, Governor Bush said very clearly, strict constructionists, like Scalia and Thomas, the far right of the current court. Governor Bush is not just looking to tip the balance to the right, he wants to knock the scales over. If Members doubt that Scalia, Thomas, and Bush would wipe out many of the protections Americans hold dear and undermine decades of Supreme Court decisions, just look at the Scalia and Thomas dissents. Scalia, Thomas, and Bush would exempt elections for State judges from all provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Scalia, Thomas, and Bush would permit sex discrimination in jury selection. Scalia, Thomas, and Bush would eliminate affirmative action. Scalia, Thomas, and Bush would restrict remedies for discrimination, while at the same time making it harder to prove discrimination. And who would join Scalia, Thomas, and Bush? Let us look at the possible short list: J. Michael Luttig of the Fourth Circuit. He wrote the opinion that prevents women from suing their attacker in Federal court under the Violence Against Women Act. Judge Luttig, along with another potential Bush pick, Fourth Circuit Chief Justice J. Harvie Wilkinson, led the charge to overturn the Miranda decision that says, you should know your rights if you are arrested. Judge Emilio Garza said Roe v. Wade may not be constitutional law. Justice Samuel Alito is so conservative that he is now referred to as ``Scalito,'' and Judge Edith Jones, a severe critic of death penalty appeals. She overruled a decision that a Texas death row inmate deserved a new hearing, even though his lawyer literally slept through part of the trial. These judges are not the extreme on Bush's list. They are the list. They are not the exceptions to the rule, they make the rules, and we will have to abide by them. If you believe in women's rights, Al Gore should shape the court. If you believe that minorities should be counted and respected; if you believe everyone is innocent until proven guilty; and if you believe, like I do, that justice should be blind and not asleep, Al Gore should shape the court. Al Gore, not Scalia, Thomas and Bush, should protect our rights for the next generation. When we vote, we will elect a President for 4 years. Supreme Court appointments last a lifetime. Two words, Supreme Court; one vote, one choice, Al Gore.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained in my district on Monday, October 30. The following indicates how I would have voted had I been present. For rollcall vote No. 577, I would have voted ``aye.'' For rollcall vote No. 578, I would have voted ``aye.'' For rollcall vote No. 579, I would have voted ``nay.'' For rollcall vote No. 580, I would have voted ``nay.'' For rollcall vote No. 581, I would have voted ``aye.'' For rollcall vote No. 582, I would have voted ``nay.'' For rollcall vote No. 583, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Christopher Jenkins, the former American Legion New York County Commander, who passed away this past summer. Mr. Jenkins, the first African-American ever to become the Commander of the New York County American Legion, was an outstanding veterans' activist and leader in the Harlem community. A member of ``the Greatest Generation,'' Mr. Jenkins served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Originally from Savannah, GA, Mr. Jenkins moved to Harlem after his military discharge and began a career with the New York City Department of Sanitation. He became a Legionnaire at Harlem's Colonel Charles Young Post No. 398 in the late 1940's. He was elected the Post Commander in 1958 and was later reelected to this office more than 15 times. He was then elected New York County Commander in 1975 and served until 1976. From 1992 to 1993 he served as the First District Commander, Department of the New York American Legion. In 1995, he was elected Vice Commander of the Department of the New York American Legion, remaining in this office until his retirement from the Legion in 1996. Aside from his work with the local American Legion post, Mr. Jenkins was an extremely well-liked leader in his Harlem neighborhood. He was the founder of the Jackie Robinson Senior Citizen Center's Chorale Group and active in numerous community and religious organizations. Mr. Speaker, I salute the laudable accomplishments and community activities of Christopher Jenkins. A proud, loyal, and dedicated leader, Mr. Jenkins' gracious and friendly personality, his involvement in the American Legion, and his leadership in the Harlem community, will be sorely missed.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to New York State Assemblyman Denis Butler, who is retiring this year after twenty-four years of service in the New York State Assembly, where he has represented the residents of his native Queens, New York district superbly. First elected in 1976, and reelected every year since, Assemblyman Butler has led a remarkably distinguished career in the State Assembly, where he rose to the rank of Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore in 1993. He has served as a senior member of the Assembly labor and Aging Committees, and currently serves as a member of the Rules, Analysis and Investigations, Economic Development, and Oversight Committees. He is also the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Special Problems of the Aging as well as the Chairman of the Assembly Queens Delegation. Assemblyman Butler has been a champion of the aging, disabled, and underprivileged, and has worked tirelessly for the working men and women of his district. With the support of the Assembly leadership, Assemblyman Butler created SCRIBE (Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemption), which has helped low income seniors remain in their homes. Additionally, he was a prime sponsor of EPIC, New York's prescription drug buy plan, which has helped thousands of elderly new Yorkers pay for necessary medication. Assemblyman Butler has also been extremely active in civic affairs and has worked alongside local community activists on a wide range of issues, from improving educational and youth programs, to strengthening the local police presence. His caring guidance and enthusiasm have truly made his neighborhood a more pleasant place to live and work. Assemblyman Butler's service in Albany has been extraordinarily beneficial to his Queens, New York constituents, and I applaud him on such an esteemed career. Assemblyman Butler began his career in politics after completing his education, which included a significant amount of time at seminary school, and working as an account executive and sales manager in the fields of television and radio broadcasting. Throughout his years serving his community in the legislature, time and again. Assemblyman Butler has proven to be a community-driven and compassionate legislator. He is one of the original founders of the 114th Auxiliary Police Corps, the past president of St. Joseph's Home School Association, and has also served as a member of the St. Joseph's Parish Council. For twenty-eight years, Assemblyman Butler has organized the annual Toys for Tots Drive. Assemblyman Butler has been honored by numerous organizations, among them, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2348, the Long Island Chapter Knights of Columbus, and the Federation of Italian-American organizations of Queens, Inc. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to pay tribute to such a respectable man. Assemblyman Butler has demonstrated that the work of a legislator is not only a rewarding opportunity for the person in office, but also immeasurably helpful to local communities. Assemblyman Butler has served as an enormously valuable resource and public servant to his Queens constituents and I am sure his services will be missed.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Herbert B. Anderson, the Pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York, on his retirement after twenty-two years of service to the church. Dr. Anderson will be honored for his many years at the church at a Festival Service of Worship this upcoming November. Dr. Anderson, recently confirmed to become Pastor Emeritus after his retirement, has dedicated his life to the Presbyterian Church. After graduating from Chicago's McCormick Theological Seminary in 1954, Dr. Anderson began his career as a young pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Harrison, Arkansas. After five years in this position, he moved onto the Southminister Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he served as pastor for eight years. He then began preaching at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest, Illinois, where he remained from 1967-1978 until he moved to the Brick Presbyterian Church, where he has remained. Throughout his many years as a pastor, Dr. Anderson has served as a member and leader of numerous religious organizations. Since 1993, Dr. Anderson has been the Chairman of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Inc. He has also worked to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding. In the early 1980s, Dr. Anderson served on the delegations of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation to China, Argentina, and Hungary. In 1975 he traveled to Nairobi, Kenya as the Delegate to the Fifth Assembly, World Council of Churches. Throughout the years, Dr. Anderson's extensive involvement in Presbyterian and interfaith organizations has served as a contribution to the already superior reputation of the Brick Presbyterian Church. Mr. Speaker, as a member of his congregation, I am confident that the work of Dr. Anderson will have a lasting effect on the Brick Presbyterian Church's congregation, whether it is through our recollection of a particularly memorable sermon by Dr. Anderson, or through the many wedding and baptism ceremonies that Dr. Anderson has presided over. Although Dr. Anderson is retiring, his many contributions to the Brick Presbyterian Church will continue to be appreciated for many years to come. I congratulate Dr. Anderson on his inspiring career and I wish him an enjoyable retirement.